Clinton VP Pick Coming Down to Kaine or Warren? Take Our Poll and Weigh In!

According to PredictIt’s vice presidential futures market, right now it looks like it’s coming down to two main choices for Hillary Clinton: either Sen. Elizabeth Warren (currently at 26 cents) or Sen. Tim Kaine (currently at 21 cents), with others (e.g., Julian Castro, Tom Perez, Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Cory Booker) significantly behind.

Personally, I think either Warren or Kaine could be an excellent choice for Clinton. In general, I feel like the more unified the Democratic Party is – let’s say Bernie Sanders comes on board strongly, also urges his followers to do the same – the more Clinton will feel confident in picking Kaine, who is most certainly well qualified for the job and would bring a lot to the ticket, but doesn’t set progressives’ hearts afluttering. On the other hand, the more divided the Democratic Party is – let’s say if Sanders continues fighting, doesn’t enthusiastically endorse Clinton, etc. – then I can see Clinton leaning more towards Warren, who most Sanders supporters and progressive absolutely love, and who many Sanders supporters would have backed if she had run for president.

So what do you think, and who do you prefer? Vote in the poll below and let’s see what Blue Virginia readers have to say. Thanks.

P.S. The brilliant Charles P. Pierce of Esquire argues that Warren should not be Clinton’s running mate, because (Pierce argues), Warren “does her best work when, as the Scripture says, she is praying somewhat outside the camp.”

Video: After meeting with President Obama, Bernie Sanders rips Donald Trump, says he will “do everything in my power and I will work as hard as I can to make sure that Donald Trump does not become President of the United States.”

Who Will Show Up To Hobnob With Guy Speaking “Textbook Definition of Racism”?

Donald Trump arrives in Richmond for a campaign events tomorrow, raising questions about who is really willing to be seen associating with the presumptive presidential nominee who can’t stop the stream of outrageous racism coming out of his mouth. Speaker Bill Howell and GOP gubernatorial candidates Ed Gillespie, Rep. Rob Wittman, and Supervisor Corey Stewart have all pledged their support for his campaign, but so far only Corey Stewart has been willing to defend, and even echo, his racist rhetoric. Which state GOP leaders will be willing to actually appear with Trump and risk a public photo shaking his small hands? Virginia Republicans have to answer: do they really want to hobnob with the guy whose comments are the “textbook definition of racism”?

“Donald Trump is waging an openly racist campaign for president that is disgusting and un-American,” said Progress Virginia executive director Anna Scholl. “You’d think Virginia Republicans would be ashamed and embarrassed to stand with and give money to such a hateful campaign. But it’s hard to know what to expect from the politicians who keep doubling down on blocking minority voters from the polls, from rigging political districts to reduce black voting power to going to court to protect a policy that keeps one in five black Virginians from voting.”

Attendees at tomorrow’s Trump fundraiser can’t hide or obfuscate the issue. Even Speaker of the House Paul Ryan called out Trump’s racism this week. There’s also this and this and this and this and this. So enjoy your party tomorrow, guys.

Elaine Owens

Since Elizabeth Warren represents a state with a Republican governor, it would be risky to the goal of regaining the Senate to pick her. For months a Republican replacement would be able to get ready to take the set in a general special election. (Today, Ed Rendell, a Clinton surrogate, poured some cold water on the idea of a Warren VP pick, citing her lack of foreign policy experience.) Kaine would allow McAuliffe to appoint a replacement, but I personally feel Tim Kaine, who is eminently qualified to be president, would be a choice guaranteed to make the Sanders supporters yawn and have no enthusiasm for that pick. She just might surprise us with someone nobody has thought of.

John Farrell

With his statement about Sen. Warren, Rendell proves once again that he can be a DLC tool.

Andy Schmookler

Not long ago I wrote here on VB to advocate Elizabeth Warren as the VP pick. I continue to think she would be excellent– but part of my reason for preferring Warren has diminished.

My reason had to do with how Warren had shown herself to be extremely effective at taking Trump on and coming out on top in their exchanges. That is still an asset, but part of why I thought that Hillary might NEED someone with that capability was that I had doubts about whether Hillary herself could attack Trump effectively.

Then, last week, Hillary gave that great speech critiquing Trump in the realm of foreign policy. She was devastating, and she looked presidential and dignified while tearing Trump to shreds.

That speech leads me to believe that she has less need for Elizabeth Warren for the coming general election campaign. Kaine has some niceness/likeability/humaneness that could be an asset on the ticket.

I would be happy with either of these possibilities.

The other important consideration is whether eight years from now, either of them would be a suitable presidential candidate. I think both are presidential material, but eight years from now, Elizabeth Warren will be 74. Which is a bit on the old side to begin a first term. Kaine will be 66 eight years from now. Not a spring chicken, but younger than either Hillary or Trump is now.

John Farrell

Elizabeth Warren would be under a gag order to support the DLC policies of a third Clinton Administration. We need her independent liberal voice on the floor of the Senate.

Given his signing of the repeal of Va.’s estate tax which exacerbated the revenue shortfall available for higher education and other needs of Virginians, Kaine’s selection would give cold comfort to Sanders supporters.

Elaine Owens

I agree that Elizabeth Warren is a vital voice in the Senate for the progressive-left point of view in the Democratic Party. As vice president she would have to hew to whatever line the administration was taking. Her influence would actually lessen. Given the propensity of Virginia Democrats not to vote in the off-years or in special elections, I worry that Tim Kaine’s seat, were he to become vice president, would be lost in a special election to some GOP hack instead of McAuliffe’s temporary pick. I would feel better about a Kaine selection if I could trust Democratic voters to show up regularly, not just every four years or for a gubernatorial election.

Chris Ambrose

Don Beyer could hold that seat as well as Kaine

Quizzical

Tim Kaine is the obvious pick, in my view. He is from an important swing state. He was a Catholic missionary in Latin America and speaks fluent Spanish. He has been Mayor of Richmond, Governor of Virginia and a US Senator. In the Senate he has become very knowledgeable about AUMFs. He’s younger than Hillary and would benefit from the VP experience, and would likely be a future Presidential candidate.

Virginia Lady

Mrs. Clinton can speak for herself, quite eloquently, as can Senators Kaine and Warren in their roles as campaign surrogates. Either would be admirably suited, in my opinion, to fulfill their only Constitutional functions, serving as president of the senate, and in the case of disaster befalling the president, becoming the president.

These two would not require training wheels.

However, nominating either, assuming a winning campaign, means losing a Democratic senator. We Democrats have a chance to retake the senate, but I suspect we’ll find it a harder slog than we might imagine today. I don’t believe we ought to handicap that effort by potentially giving up a seat. In Senator Warren’s case, her successor would be named by a Republican governor. Is the odious Scott Brown still in the picture? In Senator Kaine’s case, the successor would be named by a Democratic governor, results (the same is true for Senator Warren) to be confirmed in an election.

How much damage might a Scott Brown do before the good citizens of the Bay State send him back to the unemployment line? What are the odds that south side Virginians would return someone like Governor Macaca to the Senate? I simply don’t know, and believe “I don’t know” is a really dangerous place to be.